Serenade Read Online Free PDF Page A

little bit, maybe. Write a letter, count money, speak Inglés, help me, no work very hard. In Mexico, nobody work very hard. Yes? You like?"
    "Wait a minute. I don't get this."
    "Now I have money, I open house."
    "Here?"
    "No, no, no. In Acapulco. In Acapulco, I have very nice friend, big político. Open nice house, with nice music, nice food, nice drink, nice girls--for American."
    "Oh, for Americans."
    "Yes. Many Americans come now to Acapulco. Big steamboat stop there. Nice man, much money."
    "And me, I'm to be a combination professor, bartender, bouncer, glad-hander, secretary, and general bookkeeper for the joint, is that it?"
    "Yes, yes."
    "Well."
    The food came along, and I stayed with it a while, but the more I thought about her proposition the funnier it got to me. "This place, it's supposed to have class, is that the idea?"
    "Oh yes, very much. My político friend, he say American pay as much as five pesos, gladly."
    "Pay five--what?"
    "Pesos."
    "Listen, tell your político friend to shut his trap and let an expert talk. If an American paid less than five dollars, he'd think there was something wrong with it."
    "I think you little bit crazy."
    "I said five bucks--eighteen pesos."
    "No, no. You kid me."
    "All right, go broke your own way. Hire your político for manager."
    "You really mean?"
    "I raise my right hand and swear by the holy mother of God. But--you got to get some system in it. You got to give him something for his money."
    "Yes, yes. Of course."
    "Listen, I'm not talking about this world's goods. I'm talking about things of the spirit, romance, adventure, beauty. Say, I'm beginning to see possibilities in this. All right, you want that American dough, and I'll tell you what you've got to do to get it. In the first place, the dump has got to be in a nice location, in among the hotels, not back of the coconut palms, up on the hill. That's up to your político. In the second place, you don't do anything but run a little dance hall, and rent rooms. The girls came in, just for a drink. Not mescal, not tequila. Chocolate ice-cream soda, because they're nice girls, that just dropped in to take a load off their feet. They wear hats. They come in two at a time, because they're so well brought up they wouldn't dream of going in any place alone. They work in the steamboat office, up the street, or maybe they go to school and just came home for vacation. And they've never met any Americans, see, and they're giggling about it, in their simple girlish way, and of course, we fix it up, you and I, so there's a little introducing around. And they dance. And one thing leads to another. And next thing you know, the American has a room from you, to take the girl up. You don't really run that kind of place, but just because it's him, you'll make an exception--for five dollars. The girl doesn't take anything. She does it for love, see?"
    "For what?"
    "Do I know the Americano, or don't I?"
    "I think you just talk, so sound fonny."
    "It sounds fonny, but it's not just talk. The Americano, he doesn't mind paying for a room, but when it comes to a girl, he likes to feel it's a tribute to his personality. He likes to think it's a big night for her, too, and all the more because she's just a poor little thing in a steamboat office, and never had such a night in her life until he came along and showed her what life could be like with a real guy. He wants an adventure--with him the hero. He wants to have something to tell his friends. But don't have any bums sliding up to take their foto. He doesn't like that."
    "Why not? The fotógrafo, he pay me little bit."
    "Well, I tell you. Maybe the fotógrafo has a heart of gold, and so has the muchacha, but the Americano figures the foto might get back to his wife, or threaten to, specially if she's staying up at the hotel. He wants an adventure, but he doesn't want any headache. Besides, the fotos have got a Coney Island look to them, and might give him the idea it was a cheap joint.